Chapter 237
Chapter 237
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: The Gu River Stronghold's Migration (1)
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The Beggar Elder and Ling Feng-yun couldn't close their mouths at the scene unfolding before their eyes.
The most grueling part of infiltrating this place had been the ship's captain.
His temperament was so foul and vicious that he nitpicked everything, grabbing his whip at every turn, inflicting pain beyond words.
And yet that very captain...
"What's with that face?"
"Heh heh. What do you mean?"
"Why do you look so pissed off?"
...was groveling like a spineless worm.
Tap tap.
When the back of a hand patted his cheek, his vicious face broke into a smile as if happiness itself was bubbling up.
"What? Don't like me being here?"
"N-no, of course not."
Slap. Slap.
The patting hand had turned into slaps across the face.
"Then why the long face? Did your mom eat something bad?"
"Th-that's not it."
Crack! Crack!
Blood sprayed as his head snapped back, yet he never lost his smile. Truly astonishing.
Even when kicked in the shin, the captain—who used to bounce back like a roly-poly doll—now whimpered.
"Sniff. Ack. Huhk. Wh-what brings you to such a humble place?"
"Do I need a reason to come?"
"Th-that's not what I meant."
"You're hurting my feelings. Makes me feel like an unwelcome guest. Right?"
It wasn't just the captain that was surprising.
The sailors, who always carried whips on top of their harsh labor, now cowered obsequiously, fawning endlessly.
"Unwelcome guest? Never."
"You're in the wrong here, Captain."
"Please, eat up. Who would ever treat the great Branch Head like an intruder?"
Just as Jin Jeong assessed.
Not content with turning into meek lambs, the once brutal sailors now badmouthed the captain, desperately trying not to offend.
"Now I'm feeling better."
"By the way... Merchant So. Why are those three here?"
"Hmph."
At the glare, the sailors shot dirty looks at the one who'd asked.
"Do I need to explain and get your permission?"
As he rattled his sword hilt and muttered about Cross Sword Qi..., the sailors' faces turned ashen.
Thud thud!
"Captain! What kind of education have you been giving these kids?!"
"Gahk! Khek!"
The captain, writhing on the floor, curled up like a shrimp and swallowed his screams.
The Beggar Elder and Ling Feng-yun had no answer.
After seizing the captain's quarters and dismissing the crew, Ling Feng-yun asked.
"What have you been up to?"
"Nothing much. Just a little mischief."
"Mischief?"
Chu Un-hwi gave a brief summary of recent events, and the Beggar Elder clutched his head.
"I heard there's someone viciously driving out the Alliance's collaborators."
"No choice. They were already suspicious."
"Suspicious?"
"More Iron Chain Alliance plants than I thought."
If the Hao Clan hadn't tipped them off, they might have walked into a trap blind.
"What does 'disciple of the Remorseless Slaughter Corps' mean?"
"No idea. Guess he saw something in that hotshot."
Chu Un-hwi cut off the barrage of questions and spoke up.
"Two days from now, they'll set sail. Word from the Thunder Tiger Sect's leader, so it's reliable."
"Two days. Time's tight."
"Tell me about it. We haven't even prepared properly."
"Instructor Chu. Any other news? The Gu River Stronghold's too quiet. Feels ominous."
Ling Feng-yun chimed in at Jin Jeong's point.
"Yeah. No spies from the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold in sight either. They're plotting something."
Under the trio's gazes, Chu Un-hwi grinned.
"Got something on that."
Crackle. Crackle crackle.
Passing the nine islands along the Gu River, a small isle shrouded in thick fog lay hidden.
Legend held that the year-round fog was formed from the souls of the drowned, turned water ghosts.
Water Ghost Isle.
At its heart stood the Gu River Stronghold, a branch of the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold.
"Have we grasped their movements?"
In the stronghold's deepest chamber.
A gaunt man sat on a chair made from monster fish skin.
Blue coral hairpin on his head, his sickly frame draped in ornate sky-blue robes.
Heo Ryang, who had slain the previous Gu River Stronghold Lord and been elevated as the new one.
"Yes, Stronghold Lord."
Though their tradition was to never yield easily to outsiders, the pirates' eyes brimmed with fear toward him.
One pirate knelt and reported.
"Twelve warships, thirty large ships, and small ones bringing the total near a hundred."
"They've gathered quite a fleet."
"The enemy advancing north by fleet numbers about three thousand. Experts assembled near Dongting Lake exceed a thousand."
A force fit not for a jianghu clash, but a war between nations.
Yet no fear showed on the pirates' faces.
"The Yangtze's fish will feast."
"As you predicted, Lord."
A mystical sorcerer of a stronghold lord.
No one doubted victory.
"We'll turn them into water ghosts at the Gu River. Prepare without gaps."
"Under your command, Lord."
The kneeling pirates dispersed in perfect order.
Watching the pirates board ships, Stronghold Lord Heo Ryang rose from his chair, stretching.
"Cough. Cough."
After a bout of hacking coughs, black blood stained his hand.
"Iron Chain dogs. To shame me, who will become the new heaven."
His loosely open chest bore nine blackened finger marks.
Nine Fingers Heart Shaking Art.
A wound from breaking through the Iron Chain Alliance's Heaven's Net.
This vicious poison art, cultivated by soaking hands in viper venom, still gnawed at his heart.
"Hurry to the altar. I must obtain the Awakening Stone to end this pain."
Muttering, he suddenly turned his head.
Whoooosh.
His gaze fixed where a faint falcon's wind rustled, and an old man now stood where nothing had been.
"Three Thousand Apostles' Wind Wanderer."
"Not looking well. Long time, Seventh Apostle."
"You dare come here. Do I seem that easy?"
Truth be told, until recently receiving Wind Wanderer's letter, Heo Ryang hadn't fully trusted it.
Apostles all vied to become the new Demon God.
Hard to believe an offer of aid.
"Still so suspicious."
"If not for that Eighth Apostle's dog tricks, I'd have completed the altar and become the Demon God's vessel."
"Hope this eases your doubts a bit."
Wind Wanderer pulled a small box from his bosom, flicked it, and it floated over on the wind.
Plop.
Heo Ryang alternated glances between the box landing in his palm and Wind Wanderer.
"What's this?"
"Something helpful. No harm intended—open it."
Opening it warily revealed a translucent jade orb.
"Top-grade Blood Poison Pearl. Seems just what you need."
"Blood Poison Pearl? How'd you get such a rarity?"
"You know Wind Cyclone Art ranks top for secrecy."
Lifting the orb, pure qi surged in, easing his pain noticeably.
"I'll take the gift. Whatever your angle."
"Less scheming, more a token of 'please take care'."
"You, who should be in the North Heavens, sneaking here—what else is that?"
At Heo Ryang's unyielding suspicion, Wind Wanderer spoke.
"The Sixth Apostle is mad."
"Gained gold power for an unbreakable body, but couldn't tame his madness, huh."
"As you guess. He just deemed the madman unfit for new heaven's master."
"Smooth talk as ever."
"This trinket's just the start. When you need my power, I'll help as I can."
Whoooosh.
With a small whirlwind, Wind Wanderer's form vanished like smoke.
- If you ever need my power, come to Falling Dragon Valley.
Confirming the presence gone, Heo Ryang clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Inscrutable old coot."
Dong dong dong dong dong.
Over a hundred ships on the Yangtze unfurled sails in unison.
The sight of them forming ranks was spectacular.
Dong dong dong dong dong.
As if eager for the coming battle, war drums relentlessly stirred morale.
Flutter. Flutter.
From a small boat trailing the fleet's rear, Chu Un-hwi watched the lead ships, arms crossed.
"This won't be an easy fight."
"If your account holds, yeah."
Ling Feng-yun replied, shoulder to shoulder.
"Whew. If I'd known it'd come to this, why bother with all that hardship..."
"Right?"
The Beggar Elder and Jin Jeong grumbled from the stern.
"Everyone, stay sharp. Still gotta watch our surroundings."
At his gesture, several swift boats overtook them.
Some waved, recognizing them.
"Branch Head! Don't lag too far!"
"Yeah, I'll claim the merits this battle!"
"Fierce Branch Head. Expecting great things!"
The greeters from the ships were unorthodox sect juniors.
Some wished luck, others tossed rude jokes, waving.
Watching, Jin Jeong whispered low.
"How'd they find out?"
"Approached with sincere hearts, built bonds."
"Everything from name to identity's fake, though?"
One prickly woman.
Ignore.
Silence fell until a rower from the bow climbed up.
"Beggar Elder. Just follow like this? We might fall behind."
These were the covert aides arranged by the Murim Alliance and Jegal Clan.
Originally meant to seize ships based on situation, now gathered as backup for worst case.
The Beggar Elder, sneaking glances, replied.
"Don't dive too deep into the fleet. Just avoid straggling—adjust speed."
"Understood, Elder."
Whoosh—.
The ship pressed on, swallowing spray crashing against the hull.
The battle erupted suddenly. The moment the nine islands naming the Gu River came into view, dozens of ships appeared over the Dongting Lake horizon.
"Yangtze Waterway Stronghold got clever. Chose the battlefield well."
Several Iron Chain Alliance lead ships got caught in the swirling nine channels' treacherous currents. Dong dong dong. But matching the ominous war drums, the fleet accelerated further. The menacing charge seemed ready to devour thirty rickety ships in an instant.
Kwang! Kwang!
Explosions rang out here and there as ships caught currents or collided.
The Gu River pirates clearly outclassed in ship handling.
Splash splash!
Displaying astonishing maneuverability, they retreated to arrow range and unleashed volleys.
Boom! Boom boom!
True to their outlaw lives shunning laws, banned cannons fired sporadically.
Kaboom! Quaboom!
Several ships shattered, swept into currents to drift helplessly.
"Tch. They're dead serious."
"They're holding the front, but the force gap's clear."
"They don't know martial fights."
As the three assessed, the tide turned as Iron Blood Beast Corps members stepped up, reversing what seemed like superiority.
"The Iron Blood Beasts' valor knows no water or land!"
With a shout, corpsmen kicked off rails, leaping toward pirate ships en masse.
Thud. Thud thud!
Astonishingly, they bounded across floating debris on the surface, as if running on water.
'That's the terror of true masters.'
Strategies defying normal combat bounds.
Once a corpsman boarded, what followed was brutal slaughter.
Splash! Splaash!
Pirates fell in moments, lake reddening.
"Hahaha! That all you got?!"
The Remorseless Slaughter Corps commander's qi-laced mad laughter echoed to the skies.
"This old man'll join the fun!"
Rooooar—.
With a massive lion's roar, the gaudiest ship's jumper—the Remorseless Slaughter Corps commander—soared like a bird.
Flash.
Red sword auras writhed on blood swords in both hands, then...
Kwaaaa!
A ten-zhang water pillar erupted, cleaving a Yangtze Waterway ship.
'Well, about time for you to show, water ghost bastard.'